The colour RED

Red is the colour of Happiness, the colour of Spring...

Chinese New Year or Chinese Spring Festival is just round the corner and the city is literally decked up in Red. Every shopping mall has set up a corner selling Chinese festive trinkets. Red dresses, red lanterns, good wishes  written on red paper are seen everywhere.

Last year, I was introduced to this popular festival at the lovely home of my hubby's company CEO. The Malaysian-Chinese origin lady had invited everybody for a luxurious sit-down lunch.  Traditionally it is celebrated as a Reunion dinner by the family members on New Year's Eve. RED was the colour for the occasion. Everyone wore red attires. The children were gifted token money in red paper envelopes (called Hongbao) with Chinese motifs. A bunch of Mandarin Oranges were given to everyone wishing good luck.

RED has always been my favourite Colour.  It is the auspicious colour of our Bengali weddings, the colour of sindoor and the wedding bangles. I was fascinated to see how this colour transcended boundaries to become the auspicious colour in another culture. In Chinese tradition, red symbolises fire, which drives away the evil and brings happiness and harmony to the world. So all homes are decorated in red.

As the Chinese community prepares for their most important festival of the year, on this joyful occasion , I wish that everyone's life be filled up with the happy vibes of RED !!!